Rotor brake suspension



M. S.'ANDRZEJEWSKI ROTOR BRAKE SUSPENSION Oct. 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. l5, 1955 .NMH

Oct. 28, 1958 M. s. ANDRzEJEwsKI 2,857,990

ROTOR BRAKE SUSPENSION Filed Feb. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

@Mx @i Unite States Patent ROTOR BRAKE SUSPENSION Matthew S. Andrzejewski, Chicago, lll., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, lll., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 15, 1955, Serial No. 488,233 Claims. (Cl. 18S-205) thereof.

A more specic object of the invention is to devise a novel combination brake lever fulcrum and release spring support alording pivotal fulcrums for brake levers and having wings extending above the brake levers for the mounting of release springs associated therewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel spring positioning plates, detachably connected to wings of the combination fulcrumand release spring support member to facilitate assembly and disassembly of the release springs for the brake levers.

Another object of the invention is to provide telescoping compression release springs accommodating maximum lever travel within available space limitations.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a conventional railway passenger car truck having a preferred embodiment of the novel brake associated therewith, approximately one quarter of the truck being illustrated inasmuch as the arrangement lis preferably symmetrical about the longitudinal and transverse center lines of the truck;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view taken from the right as seen in Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4 of Figure 1.

In each of said figures certain details are omitted where more clearly seen in other views.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to Figures l and 2, it will be seen that the railway car truck which is conventional comprises a frame generally designated 2 having a side rail 4 at each side thereof andl a transom 6 extending transversely of the truck and interconnecting the side rails 4 adjacent each end of the truck. The truck frame 2 is supported in the usual manner by springs (not shown) mounted on equalizers (not shown) each of which extends longitudinally of the truck and is supported at each end thereof by a Wheel and axle assembly generally designated 8 comprising a wheel 10 and a brake disk or rotor 12. The wheel 10 is attached to an axle 11 in the usual manner, and the rotor 12 is rotatable with the wheel by attachment thereto or to the axle.

The novel brake comprises a beam 14 attached to torque arms 16 having a plurality of aligned holes 18 selectively registrable with holes 20 of a torque arm bracket 21 attached in any desired manner to the transom 6 as by welding or casting integral therewith. A bolt and nut assembly 22 extends through one set of the aligned holes 18 and the registered holes 20 to atford a torque connection between the beam 14 and the transom 6.

A combination brake lever fulcrum and release spring support generally designated 24 is attached to the `beam 14 in any desired manner as by welding at 25. The member 24 may be formed as a casting or as a weldment and comprises top and bottom inboard jaws 26 and 28 and top and bottom outboard jaws 30 and 32. A brake lever 34 is pivotally fulcrumed at 35 to the inboard jaws 26 and 28 and a brake lever 36 is similarly pivoted at 37 to the outboard jaws 30 and 32. The brake lever 34 is pivoted as at 38 to a brake head 40 carrying a brake shoe 42 for engagement with one side of the brake rotor 12, and the brake lever 36 is pivoted at 44 to a brake head 46 carrying a brake shoe 43 for engagement with the opposite side of the brake rotor 12.

The brake levers are actuated by opposed pistons fragmentarily indicated at and received within a cylinder 52 removably attached as at 54 to a plate 56 detachably anchored to a flange 60 of the member 24 by screws 62 which also afford pivotal mounting for arms 64 pivoted at 65 to jaws 67 one pair of which is attached to the brake head 40 and the other pair of which is attached to the brake head 46 to maintain the ybrake shoes 42 and 4S in approximate parallelism with the inboard and outboard sides of the rotor 12.

The flange 69 of the member 24 is connected to a forward wall 66 thereof and to lateral walls 68 which diverge rearwardly from the wall 66 and are connected to substantially parallel lianges or wings 70. Each wing 70 is provided with a spring plate 72 detachably mounted thereto by bolt and nut assemblies 74. The spring plate72 is provided with approximately vertical anges 76 along the lateral edges thereof, said flanges terminating at downwardly converging edges 78 of the plate 72 which deiine a downwardly tapered segment thereof, the lower extremity of which is flanged as at Si). A conical helical release spring 82 is confined between each spring plate 72 and one of the brake levers 34 or 36. The large end of the release spring 82 seats against the plate 72 and is positioned by the flanges 76 and 80 thereof. The small end of the spring 82 seats against the related levers 34 or 36 and is positioned by a boss 0 84 thereof.

Thus it will be understood that upon actuation of the pistons 50 by means of a pressure fluid such as air or liquid therebetween, the related ends of the levers 34 and 36 are urged outwardly from each other to cornpress the release springs 82 as the shoes 42 and 48 are clamped against opposite sides of the rotor 12 to decelerate rotation of the wheel 10. Braking torque is transmitted to the transom 6 by the torque arms 16 and is transmitted to the side rail 4 by hangers 86 pivoted at their lower ends to the beam and pivoted at their upper end as at 88 to lugs 9i) of the side rail 4. Only one hanger 86 is shown in the drawings and will suffice if only one rotor 12 is used; however, it is preferred to use one rotor adjacent each wheel 10, an arrangement which requires a hanger 86 `at each end of the beam 14. It Will be noted in this regard that most of the braking torque is transmitted to the frame 2 by the hangers 86 which are pivotally journaled to the ends of the brake beam 14, and the torque arms 16 function to transfer braking torque to the bracket 21 and to position the beam 14 in a `desired rotative position about its Patented Oct. 28, 1958? aanpast) longitudinal vaxis to properly .position ,the .brake .shoes 42 with respect to the rotor 12. As above noted, the wheel and axle assembly Sis preferably provided with a:brake :rotor i12 and l`vassociated brake mechanism :such as that .previously described` adjacent A.a wheel 10 z(.not shown) at .the :opposite .end `.of the twheel ;and axle :assembly.

As the brake -shoes :42 and T48 -wear 2in service, ythe springs .-'82 :are subjected `to greater compression lupon actuation :of the brake .levers '34 4and `36 as above described, and it will be understood that under .conditions whereat lthe brake shoes ,have fbeen Ksubjected -to d.maximum wear, lthe springs 4282 upon feach zbrake application are telescoped :to a .substantially flat lcondition ydue .to the conical shape of the springs and the manner 'in which .they` are mounted. tThis .ffeature permits maximum spring travel within the `available :space limitations .and affords v an r unusual ycompact and 'eicient frelease arrangement. i

vI claim:

,1. In a brake arrangement ffor a "railway car truck comprising at leastone Iwheel and axle assembly having a pair'of .axially spaced Vrotatable friction .surfaces and a truck frame `supported by-.said -assembly,:thefcombina tion of: a ybrake beam supported iby said .'truck iframe and disposedto extendftransversely thereof adjacent-said assembly; and brake means carried vbyfsaid beam, zsaid brake means ,including a pair of `Abrake leverscarrying friction means engageable with .said surfaces, -Apower means operable to actuate said brake levers, and brake structure including a brake support :rigidly Vsecured 'to said beamfand pivotally supporting fsaid brake levers, vsaid brake structure including a pair offspringplates detachably secured to -the brake support and'deningvparallel transversely spaced vertical `planes Vextending longitudinaly .of the .truck, a lmountingplate detachably secured to the brake support lat a location interrnediate said spring plates and-defining a plane extendingitransversely of the truck and normal to the first-mentioned planes,

saidppower means comprising a duplex power cylinder detachably mounted on "said :mounting plate .and having a pair of opposedpistons operativelyconnected `tothe respective lbrake levers, and "a .pair of release springs compressibly :interposed between the 'spring plates 'and the respective brake levers.

2. A ybrake arrangement accordingto claim l, wherein the compressional axes Aofsaidv springsare in substantial alignment with the operational axes `of said pistons.

.3, Abrake arrangementfaccording .to claim .1, wherein the springs.are.hollowandconical vwiththeirbase ends seated on said spring plates to accommodate telescopic action thereof upon actuation of the pistons.

4. A brake arrangement according to claim l, wherein each spring plate is provided with flanges at opposite sides thereof and wherein-the vb ottom of each plate is also provided with a flange, said flanges positioning the base end of its respectiverelease spring.

5. In a rotor.brake suspension for a railway car truck comprising at `least lone wheel and axle assembly .having a pair of axially spaced rotatable friction surfaces-.and a truck frame supported on said assembly and including a pair fof longitudinally --extending side fmembers interconnected by at least ,ione cross member extending transversely of the truck, the combination of: a brake beam disposed adjacent said assembly and extending transversely of the truck in a direction parallel to said cross member;fa:pair of hangershavingvtheir upper lends pivotally-.connected toathe respective side `membersand havingftheir loweriendsfpivotallyfconnected to theopposite ends of ithe beam; brake means rigidly lmountedfon thetibeam, v.said brake means including a lbrake support, a pair of brake levers pivoted to the brake support Aand carrying .friction means Yengageable with `therespective friction surfaces, and power means fsupported "by -the brakesupportandoperable to actuate saidbrake levers; and a torque transmitting connection between theibeam andthe cross member disposed intermediate saidhangers, said yconnection'including a pair of arms rigidly secured-to the cross member vand beam, respectively, eachof fsaid arms nhaving .at its :free `end a plurality yof pin holes spaced both horizontally and vertically 'from each other, andpinzmeans receivable in selectively `alignedpinlloles of the respective arms :and Aoperable .to interconnect said farms in a plurality of -positions to accommodate both the vertical and horizontal positionning of the vbeam relative to the assembly.

References 'Cited in the .tile of this patent l.UNITED STATES -PATENTS 417,194 Lawrence Dec. IO, T889* 2,413,614 Eks-ergian "Dec. 3.1, .194.6 2,667,946 Helsten Feb. 2, .1954 2,780,317 Bachman et al Feb,.5, 1957 'FOREIGN PATENTS 868,610 `Germany Feb. 26, v11953 

